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MILITARY: Former base offers affordable resort for military families

Here's a dream vacation idea: an affordable hotel room at a gorgeous tropical resort on one of the finest stretches of Hawaiian beaches ---- minus the hordes of foreign tourists fighting for lounge chairs at the pool and without all the inflated resort prices that make vacations too expensive for many military families.

Welcome to the Hale Koa, a 72-acre slice of heaven that serves only active-duty, reserve and retired U.S. military members of all branches and ranks, and Department of Defense civilian employees.

Hale Koa means "house of the warrior" in Hawaiian, and this popular R&R spot on the island of Oahu is within walking distance of the famed Waikiki Beach. Standard rooms start as low as $91 per night for enlisted personnel and top out at $222 for top-level officers or $289 for a civilian employee ---- a bargain relative to other beachfront resorts. Two children are allowed to stay in a room with their parents, and room rates are set according to view and rank.

My husband (retired from the California Army National Guard), son and I enjoyed a week at the Hale Koa earlier this month. It was our second time staying there since it was refurbished and expanded between 1991 and 1995 to add a second hotel tower, a swimming pool, two snack bars, a poolside bar and a luau garden. The expansion doubled the number of guest rooms from 419 to 817, but rooms often sell out months in advance. Taking a military flight to the island on stand-by status can be risky if you want to get there on time.

It's estimated that more than 1 million military personnel and their dependents use the resort each year. The Hale Koa property has it all: an exchange to buy suntan lotion, Hawaiian shirts, beach towels and more; the Koko Cafe, which offers three meals a day and a great daily breakfast buffet for only $13.95 for adults and $5.95 for kids; the Warriors Lounge for happy hour, karaoke, live bands and comedy night; a business center if you have to stay in touch during your stay; a contemporary dinner restaurant; a luau; and a state-of-the art fitness center. There's even a self-serve laundry room on each floor.

Along with affordable meals, the hotel's activities office saves military families money by arranging discounts at other destinations on the island: snorkeling and sailing excursions, museums, and more. It operates like a local base morale office.

During our visit, we enjoyed meeting other military families stationed everywhere from Okinawa to Korea ---- to nearby Pearl Harbor. Local military personnel stationed on Oahu can visit any time to swim, eat or enjoy any of the Hale Koa's amenities.

Oahu Activities Center Around Spectacular ... - Water Cooler Meeting

Oahu Activities Center Around Spectacular Waterfront

There are plenty of activities to enjoy when visiting Oahu, most of them centered on the water. Oahu activities include water skiing, surfing, wakeboarding, banana boats and jet skis. If you want to enjoy an underwater thrill, you can take part in scuba diving excursions or shark adventures.

For those who would rather have their activities a little on the tamer side, dolphin watches are also available. Snorkeling around the island offers visitors a chance to view live coral, sea turtles and tropical fish as if they were swimming in an aquarium. Kayaking tours offer a unique perspective of this pristine island.

Hikers vacationing in Oahu will find plenty of trails to delight and challenge them. One of the most rewarding is the hike to Manoa Falls, a spectacular waterfall that drops 100 feet. Other hikes will let you enjoy the amazing wonders of a tropical rainforest.

There are plenty of boat tours available to tourists. You can take part in deep sea fishing excursions where you aim to bring home tuna, marlin or mahi-mahi. There are also daytime cruises around the island and evening sunset cruises available. Most of these cruises include breakfast, lunch or dinner and you can enjoy a traditional boat, a sailboat or a catamaran. There are even cruises that offer a spectacular view of fireworks over the water.

The best way to familiarize yourself with Oahu activities is through a tour of the island. There are double-decker bus tours that offer riders the opportunity to get off the bus and explore places that interest them. Pearl Harbor is probably the best-known destination on the island. Other sites that are a must-see among Oahu activities include the Punchbowl Cemetery, the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, and the Missouri Memorial.

Some of the most famous beaches in the world make up the coast of Oahu. Sometimes you’ll find discount Hawaii activities on these beaches including expert surfing on the Banzai Pipeline. Kailua and Waikiki beaches and Waimea Bay feature wide expanses of beautiful sand.

The Diamond Head crater, Dole pineapple plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center offers educational and awe-inspiring attractions.

Stern's Guide to the Greatest Resorts of the World

The Complete Oahu Guidebook

Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu

Fodor's Oahu, 2nd Edition, With Honolulu, Waikiki, and the North Shore

Hawaii